District Attorney Rebert denies accusation about crime photos

Downing: Photos shown at party

York County District Attorney Stan Rebert said it's untrue someone from his office passed around bloody crime-scene photos at a 2001 party.

"There's nothing to the charge," Rebert said. "It's just an allegation.

"There's no proof that I'm aware of."

To his knowledge, Rebert said, the photos of the nearly decapitated body of Gregory Witman were never taken from his office and shown to party-goers.

But in a lawsuit filed against the district attorney's office in February, former York County chief detective Becky Downing alleges that an employee, referred to in court documents only as "Baby Girl," stole the pictures and took them to a private party.

Now, Downing's attorneys are trying to get the photos and use them during an upcoming deposition in Downing's wrongful-termination lawsuit, said Robert G. Hanna Jr. of Lavery, Faherty, Young & Patterson in Harrisburg.

Zachary Witman, who was 15 at the time of his brother's murder, was convicted in 2003 of slashing Gregory Witman to death at the family's New Freedom home.

Downing's attorneys have also listed the names of other people they believe knew about the photos, including Tom Kelley, who prosecuted the Witman case. He's now a York County judge.

Others included in Downing's filing are York County Detective Lt. Tony Glowczewski, who declined comment; local defense attorney Thomas L.

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Kearney III, who was part of Witman's defense team; and Michael A. and Rita Wynegar. The Wynegars and Kelley could not be reached for comment. Kearney said he would talk only if he were deposed.

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